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2010-02-06

Uddiyana Until the Eighth Century: A Short Historical Overview

"The princedom of Dhanakosha, which at the time when our story begins lay within the Kingdom of Uddiyana, can be identified with the Chakdara plain and Nimogram valley of Swat, including what today is known as the district of Dir situated between modern Swat and Chitral. Huen Tsiang refers to this district as Shan-ni-lo-shi, where is to be found the convent of Sa-pao-sha-ti. Since Huen Tsiang notifies us that the Chinese word Shan-ni means "to give" (Skt: dhana), it is evident that Shan-ni-to-shi is his attempt to transcribe the local name Dhanakosha, which means "royal-treasury of bountiful gifts." The Chinese to-shi refers to the second part of the name, kosha, Sanskrit for a royal treasury."

http://www.dharmafellowship.org/library/essays/uddiyana.htm

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